Adventure Activities

For more information please see the Spring & Summer Outdoor Adventures and Activities and Autumn & Winter Breaks button links on the right hand side.

Whether you just want to relax or pursue more energetic activities, The Pierhouse makes an ideal base. And afterwards, why not enjoy one of our excellent relaxation, therapeutic, aromatherapy or sports massage treatments in the comfort of your own room or relax in our Finnish sauna. Please ask our Reservations team for booking details. We also offer highly recommended Indulgence Breaks with a full range of combination massage treatments that may be tailormade to your requirements.

A full range of outdoor adventures and activities are offered to guests including sailing, motor boat trips to the islands, sea kayaking, pony-trekking, mountain biking and trekking. Autumn & winter outdoor sports such as hind stalking, clay pigeon shooting, hill trekking, mountain biking and sea kayaking are offered in season. Skiing or tobogganing can also be booked in the Nevis Range or Glencoe. Alternatively, whatever the weather, why not try canyoning and Vertical Descents, or ice and rock climbing at The Ice Factor. These are some of the activities on offer, and can all be arranged by The Pierhouse for guests. If you have a particular request or would like more information, please do not hesitate to ask.

Local activities and landmarks

Dominating the road to Port Appin is Castle Stalker, probably the best known landmark in northern Argyll. Standing on Eilean an Stalcaire (Hunters Island) at the mouth of Loch Laich, it was built to guard the Strath of Appin from invasion from the sea. It was used as the headquarters of Dugald Stewart at the Battle of Stalc in 1468, the culmination of the feud between the Stewarts and the Campbells. Today the castle is a comfortable home, restored and fully modernised by the Allward family. Open days are offered to the public in the summer months.

A leisurely 10 minute stroll from the rear of the hotel will take you to Clach Thoull, Gaelic for 'hole in the rock' - a dramatic natural stone arch formed countless years ago. The path takes you along an easy shore path with wild orchids and harebells in the springtime, whilst lush rhododendron and brilliant heather colours the late summer and autumn views. Local wildlife include sea otters, hares, seals, and a vast array of birdlife including oyster catchers, guillemots, kestrels and sea eagles.

The harbour town of Oban, known as the Gateway to the Isles, is a short 30 minute drive away. A car ferry departs for Mull, Colonsay and the other West Coast islands of the inner and outer Hebrides. On the way, why not stop at the Scottish Sea Life Sanctuary, Argyll Pottery, the white sands of Ganevan, just outside of Oban, or Tralee Beach, 1 mile from Benderloch.

Local gardens include Druimneil House Garden, which displays a fine range of rhododendrons, shrubs and trees (open 1 April to mid-October), Ardchattan Priory, the second oldest house in Scotland with formal gardens and lawns (open April to October daily), and Kinlochlaich Gardens is the West Highlands largest nursery garden centre, situated in an old walled garden built circa 1790 by John Campbell (open daily from April to mid October, and Monday - Saturday mid October to March).